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Miss Cackle's Birthday Surprise
Miss Cackle's Birthday Surprise is episode 7 of season 1 of The Worst Witch TV series. It was preceded by Monkey Business, and followed by The Great Outdoors. Miss Cackle's Birthday Surprise is based on the second worst witch book, The Worst Witch Strikes Again. Plot Miss Cackle's birthday is a day of indescribable boredom where the girls are all expected to sing, recite or chant for her in the Great Hall. Once again, Miss Bat is planning a surprise for Miss Cackle's birthday and Miss Hardbroom takes it upon herself to warn her. Maud is getting special coaching for her chanting and Ethel is playing solo violin. Luckily for Maud and Ethel, they get let off from sports day to practice for it. Enid decides to use a spell on Mildred, to assist with her vaulting, resulting in disaster. Then, the first years are taken on a cross-country run by Miss Drill, during which Enid decides to cheat and transport her and Mildred further forward into the race by magic. However, the spell goes wrong and Mildred ends up being transported back to the school, and reapears in the middle of Miss Hardbroom and Miss Cackle's table as the two are trying to have tea. Before they can get her to stop accidentaly breaking things, Enid casts the spell again and she appears hanging from the chandelier in the Great Hall, where some of the girls are rehearsing for Miss Cackle's celebration. Mildred subsequently drops from the chandelier and falls on Ethel, breaking her violin. She then gets put on probation by Miss Cackle, and if she does one tiny thing wrong, Mildred will not be allowed on the upcoming school trip over half-term. To make matters that much harder, Maud snubbs her in favour of Ethel out of her dislike for Enid. On the morning of the birthday celebrations, Enid, determined not to sit through the whole interminable performance, drags a reluctant Mildred into a store cupboard. Ethel spots them and locks the door on them, and Maud isn't able to unlock it before Miss Hardbroom returns. Inside the locked cupboard Mildred is in despair, thinking she'll be expelled, but then they spot an arch high up on one wall. They then find a broken broomstick that they temporarily repair with Enid's sash and very shakily they manage to take off. Half way through the assembly, Miss Hardbroom notices that Mildred and Enid are missing and goes in search of them. Just as she's about to open the closet door, Mildred and Enid fly out through an archway at the top of the hall. Maud, thinking quickly, introduces them as the surprise item - a double display on a solo broomstick. Enid and Maud make peace, and despite their clownish acrobatics, Miss Cackle takes it kindly and Mildred is permitted to go on the school trip over half-term. Quotes Miss Bat: “As you all know in 3 weeks it will be Miss Cackle's Birthday, now Miss Cackle's Brithday falls on the same date every year, so its always a very big school occasion. This year will be even more important than most, because extraordinary as it may seem, Miss Cackle will be another 12 months older.” Miss Drill: "Mildred, what sort of a vault was that?" Mildred: "An unsuccessful one?" Category:1998 TV Series